


Opening Up

by Cheshire_Cat2244



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Broken Bones, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Out, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Please Don't Hate Me, Snacks & Snack Food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-30 15:23:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20099398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheshire_Cat2244/pseuds/Cheshire_Cat2244
Summary: It's their weekly movie night but Jaime senses something off about Bart. He asks him about it, expecting the speedster to downplay an injury and while he wasn't wrong, he certainly wasn't expecting everything else.





	Opening Up

**Author's Note:**

> I stayed up until half 4 in the morning writing this so it could be shit but imma post it anyway cuz the tag has been dying since everyone jumped on the zetaflash (Or whatever Bart x Eduardo) is. Yes I am guilty, they're cute but c'mon bluepulse has gotta he endgame and I hope that if zetaflash becomes canon, it's only temporary and we'll still get bluepulse in the end. 
> 
> I feel like Bart should have been more chatty but I was trying to show a softer side to him? Idk. I think they'll always seem OOC to me whether they are or not as I'm not confident enough in my writing.
> 
> ANYWAY please enjoy this... whatever it is lmao. Love to you all, let's get the tag thriving again, yeah?

Jaime glanced at his phone anxiously.

Bart had texted him that he was all good for their movie night despite being called in for a mission and he was now ten minutes late and had neglected to inform him of why.

Now, Jaime knew that you can't exactly pull out your phone to message someone during a mission but Bart was never one to follow rules he deemed stupid when he could do them in a blink of an eye. He was beginning to worry.

Chewing his lip slightly, he picked up the phone and began to type when a gust of wind and a familiar whoosh of air came from his right. 

He hissed at the scarab to not blow a hole through the 'intruder' because it was only Bart and he was an ally.

"Hey, her-man-o!" The shorter teen grinned, "Sorry I'm late, got a little caught up back at the Watchtower." 

For once, Bart had shown up at his house in his civvies and not his uniform, a fact which Jaime was eternally grateful for despite his family not actually being home this time.

He watched as the speedster sat down, not missing how he gently lowered himself down instead of collapsing onto it in a sprawl of limbs like he usually did.

Unfortunately, he reached for the food and began rambling about the film they were going to watch before Jaime could question it.

The older of the pair gave him an odd look before shrugging and setting up the movie. 

About twenty minutes in, Jaime noticed Bart shift and grimace before schooling his face back to a look of interest and he knew something wasn't right.

They'd known each other for four years now, Jaime had watched Bart grow from the hyperactive thirteen year-old perfectly crafted to befriend the current generation of heroes whilst also stopping the Reach into a more natural seventeen year-old. He was still energetic and excitable, some would argue childish but Jaime could see through the little cracks in his best friend's façade. 

It made him happy to see Bart becoming more comfortable in this timeline and not always putting on an act to get people to like him. Sadly, he only really let this part of himself out around Jaime but the latter was convinced that the persona Bart made himself into when he first came back was a slightly played up version of who he was never able to be in his past.

That aside, he (mostly) knew when Bart was faking an emotion. Especially when he was trying to appear perfectly happy. 

"Bart?"

His companion hummed in response, not taking his eyes off the television screen.

"Are you gonna tell me what's wrong or are we gonna sit through this movie pretending everything's cool?" Jaime was aware he was coming off like a bit of a jerk and was about to apologise but was cut off by a sigh.

"You're getting pretty good at reading me, Blue. Guess I better try harder." A small laugh escaped the other boy as he turned to look at him.

A flash of hurt passed through Jaime before he reminded himself that hiding his feelings was just how Bart coped with life. "Or," he began, pausing the movie and turning his body to lean his side on the back of the couch and look at his friend. "You can talk to me?" He kept his voice soft, Bart didn't like to be pushed into things.

"It's nothing really, just a little sore from the fight." Bart replied easily, a reassuring grin on his face.

"Fight? I thought this was a recon mission?"

The other boy rolled his eyes playfully, "Her-man-o, when do our missions ever not end in a fight?" He chuckled. 

_**The Kid Flash is incorrect, Jaime Reyes. Missions end in combat only 95.74% of the time.**_ Khaji-Da pointed out, it's monotone voice ringing inside his head.

Ignoring the scarab, Jaime grinned, "Okay, you have a point, but seriously are you sure you're good? You don't seem fine and… well you know you can trust me, right?"

Bart studied him for a moment before signing again and finally relenting. "Alright, my chest kinda hurts."

Jaime buried the warm feeling he got from Bart opening up to him and instead focused on what he said. "You want me to take a look?" 

"I'll be fine. Speedster healing, remember?" That cheesy grin was back and he shoved another handful of popcorn into his mouth.

The older boy remained sceptical but decided not to pressure him, "Right." going to turn the movie back on when a sharp intake of air stopped him. 

Seeing anyone in pain was never easy for Jaime, especially people whom he considered family, therefore he decided he wasn't going to let the issue go. "Please can I take a look? That doesn't sound good, ese. Even for you."

Bart nodded and vibrated out of his long-sleeved shirt, staring at a spot on the floor as Jaime's jaw went slack.

A blackened purple bruise the size of his forearm blossomed across Bart's left side like water added to paint. The edges turning yellow like an ombré with hints of red. If his ribs weren't broken, they definitely had a nasty fracture. 

"Dude!" Jaime spluttered when the ability to speak returned to him. "You should be in the med-bay not on my couch!" 

Bart shifted awkwardly, the regret of the action instantly appearing on his face as he tried for a smile. "It's no biggie, Jaime. Besides, I didn't wanna miss our movie night!"

The Hispanic teen stared incredulously at his best friend, knowing he shouldn't be surprised at this point yet he still was. "So you didn't even get it checked out?"

The speedster's strained smile became sheepish as he lowered his head. "Nope…"

Jaime facepalmed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he asked Khaji-Da to scan Bart's chest. 

_**The Kid Flash has two broken ribs.**_

"The scarab says two of your ribs are broken, hermano! Two!" 

Bart raised his hands up in defence, "Hey, it's not life threatening so it's fine. Can we watch the movie now?"

Getting up with a sigh, Jaime padded into the kitchen, "Not until I get you an ice pack at least." 

As he returned, feeling sorry for his friend as his metabolism meant painkillers would have no effect on him, he caught the younger teen running a finger along a half-healed cut previously concealed by his hair. 

When Bart noticed, he quickly let his auburn hair flop back over the wound in a weak attempt to hide it further. 

Now it was Jaime's turn to sigh as he gently sat next to his friend; closer than what would be deemed socially acceptable for two boys but he didn't care; and carefully pressed the ice pack over the bruise.

He offered an apologetic smile when Bart gasped and shivered at the cold pack on his bare skin but muttered a thanks nonetheless. 

"You know broken ribs are serious, Bart. I get that you heal fast but you still need at least a few days to recover." He chided, gently nudging the other boy into a more comfortable position without moving the pack. 

"Yeah, I know. I just… I don't want Jay worried about me so soon after Joan passed so I came here." 

And there it was. 

"I'm sorry, ese. Still, you don't have to hide around me. I know that you still sorta do around the rest of the Team but you don't have to with me. I want you to know that." He hadn't meant to get so deep but the way Bart looked at him made his breath catch in his throat.

Bart was looking at him with what Jaime thought was a mixture of fondness and embarrassment but he wasn't too sure.

What he was sure of, however, was that he could almost see Bart lowering his walls, letting himself relax completely as he leaned forward, resting his head in the crook of Jaime's neck. 

Jaime wasn't sure how to react. Sure, Bart had always been physical with him, despite it lessening when the older dated Traci and the younger Eduardo Jr. Both of those respective break-ups had onto brought the pair closer as they each helped the other through it. 

Hesitantly, Jaime wrapped the arm that wasn't holding the pack around Bart's waist, being careful to not put too much pressure around his ribcage. The skin was warm to the touch and he became acutely aware that he was cuddling with his shirtless best friend yet he couldn't bring himself to care that much.

It was… nice. He could feel Bart's breath lightly fanning his neck as he lay against the larger boy, seemingly content.

"Thanks for putting up with me, Jaime." Bart murmured softly. 

"What do you mean?"

"I know you can tell when I'm faking it. Yet you're still my best friend anyway. That… means a lot." 

"After everything we've been through together, it's the least I can do." Jaime smiled, flushing slightly as he felt one of Bart's slightly skinny arms come to rest on his upper back. 

"Hey, Blue?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we talk about this thing between us?"

Jaime felt his body tense slightly as Bart sat up to look at him, his face serious for once. "W-what thing?" He stuttered.

Bart looked down, gesturing between them before meeting his gaze again. "Don't you think we're a little close for 'just friends'?" His pale cheeks were going slightly pink. "I mean, we both know I can hold an ice pack."

Jaime looked to where he was still holding the pack for Bart and gulped. "I uh…" He stared at Bart, really observing him. The way his bright green eyes had flecks of gold in if you looked close enough, how he always looked just that bit too skinny despite eating half of Jaime's kitchen whenever he came over, how he always had his back even when Jaime couldn't see why he'd want to.

_ **Jaime Reyes, your heartbeat has increased significantly. Recommended tactic: precision attack.** _

_Holy shit._ The revelation hit him harder than one of Black Beetle's punches. _I'm in love with my best friend. Since when? What the fuck._

"-Hello? Earth to Jaime? Khaji-Da can you either shut up or snap him back to senses cuz I'm feeling a little awkward here…" 

Jaime blinked, realizing that Bart was talking. "Sorry, what?"

The pale boy huffed, pulling away. "I said, if I've got it wrong I can leave-"

"No!" He flailed, "I mean, please don't leave because I… kinda just realised I like you?" 

Bart raised an eyebrow, settling himself again with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Really?" His hand came to rest on Jaime's knee as he cocked his head to the side.

"Y-yeah, I-" The nerves were bubbling up inside him but at this point he didn't think Bart was going to reject him so he pushed through it. "I care about you." He admitted. "A lot. You've always been there for me. I mean, you literally came back in time to stop me from bringing about a literal apocalypse and ended up saving my life and staying by my side even when I thought I didn't deserve it." Wow. That was unexpected. 

Bart was even redder now, a genuine smile on his lips and he kissed Jaime's cheek, "You're the crashest person I know, Blue! How can I not love you?" He seemed to freeze for a moment, realizing what he said but in true speedster fashion, he recovered quickly. "Y'know 'cause I just think you're really amazing and uh," he cleared his throat. "Attractive…"

Jaime grinned, hoping he didn't look like a huge dork as Bart continued.

"You're such a good person, Jaime. I came back expecting an infiltrator at work but instead you were just a kid trying to protect people. I knew that the Reach Apocalypse wasn't your fault and that I had to protect you from them. And I uh, I did have a crush on you even back then. But then you got with Traci so I got over you and got with Ed but neither of those worked out and those feelings sorta came back. And… you're really important to me. I just don't want to seem weak."

"You could never." Jaime assured, "You're the strongest person I know." They leaned closer, Jaime putting a hand on Bart's hip, Bart putting his own hand on the back of the older boy's neck. 

As they pulled each other closer, their lips met. The kiss was strong, full of various emotions. Fingers ended up in his hair, running through it and earning a hum of contentment. Jaime brushed his thumb over Bart's hip, flipping the ice pack over before once again pressing it to the pale skin, unable to suppress the smirk as the other boy jolted from the cold. 

"Hey!" Bart squawked, batting his shoulder as he pulled away. "Not funny!" 

"Sorry, ese." He laughed, "But I wouldn't have to if you'd taken better care of yourself."

"Yeah, yeah I know." His friend(?) grumbled. "Can we make out again now?" 

Jaime blinked before snorting and covering his eyes with a hand. "Very forward there, hermano. But sure."

"I like to get to the point." Bart shrugged before crashing their lips together again. 

After a while of very nice kissing if Jaime does say so himself, he noticed that Bart was getting tired and pulled away. 

Bart whined before just laying against Jaime, returning his head to the crook of the other boy's neck as the latter leaned them back on the couch and lay down, holding him against his chest and nuzzling his hair.

***

"Ewww! Mama, Jaime's being all gross again!" A shrill voice roused him from his sleep.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly and looked up to see his younger sister Milagro staring at him, her arms crossed and a look of disgust on her face. 

Jaime shut his eyes again, intending to ignore her when they snapped open again because if Milagro was here, that means-

"Leave your brother alone, hija. He- oh!" His mother stopped herself, her eye catching Bart still attached to him like a sloth to a tree. He'd never understand how she managed to look both surprised yet unsurprised at the same time.

"Uh, I can explain!" He stuttered as his father walked into the room, eyebrows shooting up in shock. 

Bart chose this moment to stir awake and grow pale at the sight of Jaime's entire family having caught them sleeping on his couch together. And he was shirtless.

"Hi, Mr and Mrs Reyes! Hey, Milagro! We um," He sat up, the now warm ice pack falling away as he scrambled for his shirt and stifled a groan of pain. 

The bruise had begun to fade into a yellow and the pain wasn't as bad as before but his ribs were still clearly broken. 

"Oh, Bart! What happened to your side?" His mother cooed, bending down and examining him.

"I fell and broke a couple ribs. Jaime was helping me take care of them but we sorta fell asleep…" 

Jaime nodded, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment and he had no doubt his face was bright red again. 

"It's not a problem, sweetie. You tell me if you need anything, I work at a hospital as you know." 

Pulling his shirt over his head, Bart stood and Jaime followed suit. A brief look of internal struggle flashed across his features before he pulled Jaime into a quick hug and heading towards the door. "See you some other time!" And he was gone.

The four members of the Reyes family stood there in silence for a few moments before it was broken by his father, Alberto, who patted his son's shoulder and smiled, "If you need to tell us something, hijo, I know you will when you're ready. And we'll always support you."

"Gracias, Papa. I know." Jaime returned the smile before heading up to his room, shooting Bart a text.

_[Hope you didn't run home.]_

The response was almost instant. 

_[Pfft. Only for a couple miles.]_

"Ay, Dios mio!" He groaned, sending a reply. _[Bart! Your ribs!]_

_[It's fine! Barry picked me up (literally) and took me back. I'm in bed resting now. It's sooooo moded!]_

_[Good. You'll heal faster.]_

_[Love you. <3]_

Jaime grinned at his phone, flopping back onto his bed. _[También te amo. <3]_

**Author's Note:**

> Spanish translations: 
> 
> Hermano - bro  
Ese - dude  
Ay Dios mio - Oh my God  
También te amo - love you too


End file.
